Motor-truck.



j. MHNSTON.

MOTOR TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED (OCT. 30. 19M.

Petented Feb. 1, 1916 a SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ATTORNEY J. JOHNSTON.

MOTOR TRUCK APPLICATION FILED ocnso. 1914. I

Patented Feb. 1,1916.

3SHEETS-SHEE 2.

A TTORNEY YFIA I 2 f J. JOHNSTON.

MOTOR TRUCK- APPLICATION FILED OCT. 30. m4.

Patentd Feb. 1, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 A TTORNEY JoHN JOHNSTO1\T,OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MOTOR-TRUCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 30, 1914. Serial No. 869,413.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN JOHNSTON, a subject of the King of England, anda resident of New York city, in the county of New York and State of NewYork, have in vented certain new and useful Improve.- ments inMotor-Trucks, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to motor vehicles and has for its main object theproduction of a simple, inexpensive construction for driving directlyfrom the drive-shaft of a motor each wheel of a vehicle independently ofeach other and which will eliminate the use of transmission anddiiferential gearing in such vehicles.

The object further provides for a convenient disposition of the motorthat will enable the same to be readily accessible for the purpose ofrepairing w1thout necessitating the dismantling of any part of therunning gear of the vehicle.

Still further the object of the invention provides forthe applicationofthe motor,

in the manner above stated, to the wheels of the vehicle which may beoperated by the steering'gear thereof.

With these and other objects in View, which will appear asthespecification proceeds, the invention consists in forming the turningknuckles, tion wheels with the bolsters of the vehicle,

.with an extension upon which a motor is mounted, and ,which latterdirectly drives a traction wheel through a worm, or other suitablegearing, on the drive-shaft of the motor.

Another feature resides in the construction of the steering gear whichcontrols the traction wheels and governs the direction of travelof thevehicle. 1 .1

Sofar as applicant is aware,-motor fvehicles have not been constructedwith motors mounted on the turning knuckles of the steering gear fordriving the wheels of the vehicle. By the present construction,applicant does not incase or inolose his motor but submits the samedirectly to the atmosphere so the same may be cooled thereby and sopositions the motor to be easily accessible and to move in unison withthe traction wheel.

Other "features of construction and arwhich connect the trac rangementof part will appear as the specification proceeds.

The drawing accompanying the'specification illustrates the invention ina concrete and preferred embodiment but it is to be understood that theinvention is capable of many changes and modifications without departurefrom the spirit and scope of the invention as pointed out in theappended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of the running and steeringgear of a truck, illustrating the invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevationof a truck illustrating the invention. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detailsectional view of one of the tractionwheels taken substantially on 33 ofFig. 1; to illustrate the connection of the wheels with the turningknuckles. Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevation of-the invention, thewheel Patented Feb. a, rare.

being shown in dotted lines to bring out the construction of 'theturning knuckles and the location of the motor, and further illustratesa construction wherein the turning knuckle has two oppositely extendingmotor supports for accommodating two motors for driving a tractionwheel. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of a traction wheel illustrating amodification wherein two'm'otors are used for driving the wheel and aredisposed on opposite sides'thereof.

Like reference characters denote similar and like parts throughout thespecification and drawings.

1 denotes the body of the vehicle or motor truck having the ellipticalsprings 2 suitablv connected or secured to the front and rear bolsters Aand B, respectively, which may be constructed in any desired manner, butwhich, as here shown, comprise the parallel bars 4 and 5 suitably spacedby the connecting members 6. Between the ends of each of these bolsters4 and 5 are pivoted,

or otherwise swiveled upon the pins or pivots 7 the knuckles 8 eachformed with a central bore 9. A stub-shaft 10 extends through said boreand provides an axle for the traction wheels 11 which support' thevehicle. The stud-axles 10 may be held in the bore 9 of the knuckles byany suitable means such as by the screw 12. A worm gear 13 is to berigid with each traction wheel 11, which in the present instance isfront or rear wheels gear 13 for directly cated at 19*.

shown as beino: formed on its inner side with a sleeve 14 havingintegrally therewith the gear 13, however, this gear 13 may be securedto the wheel 11 in any preferred manner. Extending from each of theturning knuckles 8 is a shelf extension 15 to support a motor 16 of anypreferred type, however, an electro-motor is shown in the oresentembodiment as receiving energy from the storage battery 17, suitablylocated on the vehicle, through conductors 17 A worm 18 is provided onthe armature shaft 19 of the motor and meshes with the worm impartingmotion to the traction wheels 11.

In Fig. 4: is illustrated a construction wherein the knuckle 8 is formedwith two oppositely extending extensions 15 and 15 for supporting motorsdiametrically opposite with respect to the gear 13. By this constructiona second motor 16 may be placed upon the support or extension 15 andsuitably aid the motor 16 when it is desired to increase the drivingpower of the machine, etc. The motor 16 is preferably an electro-motorand has its armature shaft removably connected with the worm 18 as indi-The above construction allows for a double amount of powerto'be carriedadjacent the wheel and to be exerted thereupon in an inexpensive anduncumbersome manner.

Supported on the bolsters A and B to rotate in a horizontal plane, arethe segmental gears 20 and 21 having the levers 22 and 23 rigidtherewith "and to be operated thereby. Link rods 24 connect the knuckles8' of the front bolster A with the lever 22, and link rods 25 connectthe knuckles 8 of the rear bolster B with the lever 23 so that thetraction wheels of each bolster will be operated in unison uponoperation of the respective gears 20 and 21. The segmental gears 20 areactuated from the steering wheel 26 which imparts motion to therotatable rod 27"through the bevel gears 28, the rod 27 having a worm 29rigid thereon which meshes with the segmental gear 20, and the rod 27 inturn rotates the rod 30 which imparts motion to the worm 31, whichlatter meshes with the segmental gear 21. The worm 31 is so arrangedthat it will rotate gear 21 in an opposite direction to the gear 20 andthus turn the front and rear trac tion wheels in a cooperative relationfor turning the vehicle, while the motor of each wheel is in operation,without necessitating the use of differential gearing. It is to beunderstood that although applicant shows all the traction wheels asbeing driven, it may be found desirable to drive only the of thevehicle.

In Fig. 5 is shown a modification wherein two motors 16 and 16 are usedto drive a traction wheel. These motors are supported by the knuckle 8which is formed with an extension similar to the extensions 15 of theknuckles 8, but the extension of the knuckle 8 which former is hiddenfrom view, is considerably broader to accommodate the two motors 16 and16". The wheel 11 is provided with two worm gears 13 and 13 on oppositesides thereof which mesh with the worms 18 and 18", respectively, of themotors 16 and 16*.

Applicant desires to make it clear that by the constructions, shown inFigs. 4 and 5, four motors may be applied to each wheel by merelybroadening both the extensions 15 and 15 to accommodate two motors, asshown in Fig. 5, respectively, whereby a quadruple source of power maybe exerted upon a traction wheel and willbe movable therewith withoutinterfering with the proper rotation and operation of the same. It is tobe understood that the gears 13 may run into a suitable container filledwith oil for the purpose of lubricating parts 13 and 18, or the same maybe inclosed with a suitable casing which may contain oil.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a vehicle, a driven traction wheel for the-vehicle, aturning knuckle pivoted in said vehicle, means projecting from theknuckle and providing an axle for the wheel, oppositely extendingextensions formed on said knuckle, motors mounted on said extensions andhaving a single driving connection with said wheel, and a steering gearfor the vehicle having an operative connection with said knuckle.

I 2. In combination, a vehicle, a driven traction wheel for the vehicle,a turning knuckle pivoted to said vehicle, means projecting from saidknuckle providing an axle for said wheel, oppositely extendingextensions formed on said knuckle, a motor mounted on one of theextensions and having a direct driving connection with said wheel, asecond motor mounted on the other of said extensions and being removablyconnected with said driving connection of said firstmentioned motor anda steering gear connected with said knuckle.

3. In combination, a vehicle, a driven traction wheel, for the vehicle,a turning knuckle pivoted to the vehicle, from said knuckle providing anaxle for said wheel, oppositely extending extensions formed on theknuckle, each extension being of considerable width so as to support amotor on each side of the wheel, a motor mounted on each extension andon opposite sides of the wheel, a single driving connection between thewheel and each. pair of motors on opposite sides of the wheel, andsteering means connected with said knuckle.

4. In combination, a vehicle, a driven traction wheel for the vehicle, aturning knuckle pivoted to the vehicle, means projecting meansprojecting tor on oppoiste sides of the wheel, motors O TON from theknuckle providing an axle for the Signed at New York city, in the countyof vehicle, an extension formed on the vehicle New York and State of NewYork this 28th 10 and of considerable width to support a moday ofOctober A. D. 1914.

mounted on said extension on opposite sides of the wheel, drivingconnections between Witnesses:

each motor and said wheel; and a steering EDWARD RANDOLPH WATTON, Jr.,wheel connected with said knuckle. MARY W. WALLACE.

